Wild Country (The World of the Others #2)- Anne Bishop Page 0,32

secret in exchange for his help in escaping from her father’s control.

She had escaped, but two men had died—the deputy and the man accused of killing him. That was typical of how the Blackstones dealt with problems before they moved on. Her father called it taking out the trash.

It was just a matter of time before someone from her family would arrive in Bennett—and then someone else would die. She just had to make sure the someone wasn’t her.

* * *

* * *

Tolya reviewed the e-mails from Lakeside, as he had since the first one arrived on Sunsday. Because there was no longer direct communication between the regions that made up the continent of Thaisia, e-mails and telegrams had to go through Intuit communications cabins that had been set up near the borders. Letters and business correspondence sent by anyone who wasn’t Intuit or terra indigene traveled by train and eventually reached the destination cities and the recipients who lived there. So even “fast” communication between regions could take up to twenty-four hours before being received.

The single exception was the connection between Sweetwater, which was in the Northwest, and Bennett and Prairie Gold, which were in the Midwest. Tolya and Jackson Wolfgard had pleaded with the Elders to allow them to have direct communication with each other because there was a connection between Jesse Walker in Prairie Gold and the blood prophet pup living with Jackson in the terra indigene settlement at Sweetwater.

Jackson and his mate, Grace, had discovered that Hope Wolfsong had the ability to draw the visions that came to her and didn’t need to cut her skin. Drawing didn’t release the visions for most of the girls, but Hope’s ability encouraged other girls’ caretakers to explore different ways that these girls could reveal prophecy without the cutting that would eventually kill them.

Like Meg Corbyn, the blood prophet who lived in the Lakeside Courtyard, Hope Wolfsong was highly gifted, and while those who received the drawings of her visions weren’t always able to interpret the pictures correctly, she and Meg had been instrumental in saving many of the Wolfgard from the slaughter organized by the Humans First and Last movement. The warning hadn’t come in time to save the adults in the Prairie Gold pack, but it had come in time to save the pups as well as the Intuit town.

What all of that meant to him was a picture from Hope Wolfsong couldn’t be ignored.

Tolya still hesitated to download the file. Jackson had called the picture a warning. Vlad had told him unauthorized humans most likely would be arriving in Bennett along with the humans selected during the Lakeside job fair. That meant he and Virgil should be at the station to assess the humans as they arrived—starting today, since they couldn’t be certain that the strangers wouldn’t arrive before the Lakeside migration.

He hesitated a moment longer before downloading the file and printing two copies. Then he studied the picture.

he called.

Virgil replied.

Virgil didn’t sound happy about that.

Silence.

Tolya almost pitied the humans who might be viewed as intruders. Almost. He understood Virgil’s rage against humans. He just wasn’t sure what he would—or should—do if the Wolf couldn’t contain that rage and started killing the useful humans who wanted to live in Bennett.

Not something he needed to deal with today. Slipping the copies of the picture into a slim briefcase, Tolya left his office, then stopped at the book room to check on Barbara Ellen and Joshua Painter—who were doing fine. Too fine? No, they were fine, still getting acquainted. No reason for alarm or to send any messages that would cause undo excitement in Lakeside.

Even so, he’d remain vigilant until the new deputy arrived. Then she could keep watch over Barbara Ellen Debany.

Leaving the two humans to their book sorting, he walked to the jewelry store and was pleased to see the Open sign on the door.

“Mr. Sanguinati,” Kelley Burch said.

The human looked tired, strained. Whispers had reached Tolya that something wasn’t right between Kelley and his mate—something serious enough that Jesse Walker was concerned. Not that she had said anything, but every time he mentioned Kelley or Abigail, her